The Criterion Voyages (Spine #1222): VICTIMS OF SIN -- A Beautiful, Progressive Cine de Rumberas6/20/2024
By Sean Boelman
Some of the most exciting films to be added to the Criterion Collection are true, underseen discoveries. Emilio Fernández’s Victims of Sin is one such film, a potent Latin-American melodrama with a consistently gripping story and enthralling visuals that allow it to stand out as a highlight in Mexican cinema.
The movie takes place in a Mexican nightclub, where a dancer unexpectedly chooses to rescue an abandoned baby from a garbage can. In the aftermath of this fateful decision, she must deal with the baby’s pachuco father and the community that has begun to ostracize her for her choice. Victims of Sin is often an extremely sensationalistic film, but it approaches even the most exaggerated plot points with full-hearted authenticity. Victims of Sin is an example of a movie in the cine de rumberas movement, which was a prominent part of Mexico’s Golden Age in cinema. Because of this, the film contains extended sequences of cabaret-style dancing and singing performances, which are utterly mesmerizing. Yet, while these sections are fun to watch, their content, both in lyrics and emotions, pushes the story forward as well. Gabriel Figueroa's black-and-white cinematography is incredible and looks stunning in the beautiful 4K restoration. There’s a fluidity to it — particularly during the rumberas sequences — that lends the movie an infectious energy. The juxtaposition of these moments against the melodrama makes those devastating moments hit that much harder. 
Victims of Sin boldly tackles progressive themes, especially for its time in 1951. It offers a powerful feminist perspective on a patriarchal society, which still, unfortunately, resonates today. The movie’s critique of the justice system's failures to protect women from crimes like domestic abuse is also still uncomfortably relevant, making this stand out as an eerily timeless work of Latin American cinema.
The other aspect of Victims of Sin that stands out particularly well is its cast. Lead actress Ninón Sevilla gives a fantastic performance, pulling double duty. Her turn is equal parts physical and emotional. Of course, she thrives in the dance sequences, and her dance skills give her a command of expressing her emotions through mannerisms and motion. However, she also brings a ton of vulnerability to the dialogue-driven portions. It’s a skilled and balanced performance. The male cast is nowhere near as nuanced, but they do an effective job of playing to the archetypes of their roles. In terms of bonus features, the Criterion Collection edition of Victims of Sin is a wealth of riches. Highlights include an interview with filmmaker and archivist Viviana Garcia Besné and another with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon) about Gabriel Figueroa’s work. There is also a documentary on the cine de rumberas movement, which includes interviews with Sevilla. Victims of Sin is an incredible film, both for the period in which it was created and for today. It holds up phenomenally thanks to excellent cinematography, strong performances, and a thoughtful, progressive approach to its themes. This makes the movie a wonderfully undersung piece of Latin American cinematic history. The Criterion Collection edition of Victims of Sin is now available.
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By Sean Boelman
The Tribeca Film Festival is one of the biggest film events of the summer, taking place after the spring festivals of Sundance, Berlinale, and Cannes but before the Fall kicks off with Venice, Telluride, and TIFF. From exciting world premieres with buzzy stars to indies from exciting new voices and international gems, the Tribeca Film Festival has an incredibly diverse lineup of films to discover.
We at disappointment media got to cover this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, and here are some quick thoughts on some of the films that played as part of the festival: Come Closer
Tom Nesher’s Come Closer was the inaugural winner of the Viewpoints section of the Tribeca Film Festival, which, according to the festival, is designed to “discover the most boundary-pushing, rule-breaking new voices in independent film.” While Come Closer does boast some incredible visuals, it feels a little too afraid to push boundaries on a narrative level. Lia Elalouf’s performance in the lead role is excellent and full of emotional vulnerability. However, the story, which follows a woman who forms an unexpected connection with her late brother’s secret girlfriend after his death, is a bit too familiar in its approach to resonate.
Restless
Sometimes, the best films are those with the most straightforward premises. Unfortunately, that is not the case with Jed Hart’s Restless. Cinephiles will have seen this premise done in the thriller genre plenty of times before — a protagonist’s idyllic life is disturbed when a new neighbor moves in, causing a series of escalating conflicts. Only, in Restless, the conflicts don’t escalate nearly enough to be cinematic, much less compelling. Worse yet, Hart’s script has such low stakes that we are given little reason to care about this (un)neighborly conflict. Lyndsey Marshal’s turn in the lead role is passable, but like the role written for her, it lacks nuance.
Some Rain Must Fall
Qiu Yang’s Some Rain Must Fall premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year before making its North American premiere at Tribeca. Visually, Qiu’s film shows an incredible command of cinematic language, with some absolutely stunning cinematography. That being said, the story of a housewife whose life begins to spiral out of control isn’t that engaging. The film is simply too slowly paced, dealing in mundanities, for it to connect with audiences.
Untitled Tim Burton Docuseries
Only one episode of Tara Wood’s to-be-titled docuseries on filmmaker Tim Burton screened at Tribeca, but those 60 minutes were some of the most engaging in the festival. Wood has a background telling the story of beloved filmmakers, having already made feature films about Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater, but the miniseries format seems to be even more conducive to her style. In the first episode (out of a planned four), she explores the early phase of his career, interviewing plenty of famous faces, including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, and more. Although it’s not particularly revelatory — especially for those who are fans of the director — it’s still fascinating.
The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival ran June 5-15 in New York City.
By Sean Boelman  In recent years, the Tribeca Festival has been working to expand its offerings beyond purely film screenings. Although the films in the lineup are often excellent — a combination of buzzed-about, starry premieres and some hits from earlier festivals in the year — some of the biggest highlights are the talkback sessions and other post-screening events that enrich the experience. Here are a few things we think you should check out at this year’s Tribeca, from great films to once-in-a-lifetime events paired with film screenings: Between the TemplesNathan Silver’s Between the Temples premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and immediately cemented itself as one of the most hilariously uncomfortable films of the year. Starring Jason Schwartzman as a cantor who has recently become a widower and Carol Kane as his former elementary school teacher, the film switches between heartwarming, awkward, and funny — often all within the same scene. If you’re looking for an entertaining movie to watch at this year’s Tribeca, you’ll have a hard time finding one better than this. KneecapThe music dramedy Kneecap perfectly splits the line between crowd-pleasing and incendiary, which is why it has been such a hit on the festival circuit so far. The film, a fictionalized telling of the story of the formation of the eponymous Irish hip-hop group, also offers some unexpected insight into the need for cultural preservation. If the buzz around the film wasn’t enough to attract festivalgoers to see the movie, the band will be doing a special performance for ticketholders, making this a night you absolutely will not forget. She Loves Blossoms MoreTribeca is unique among mainstream festivals in that it features not one but two sections devoted to the cinema bizarro that exists on the fringes of the fest circuit. Launched last year, the Escape From Tribeca sidebar is separate from the traditional Midnight programming, featuring wild, crazy, and — most importantly — fun genre films. There isn’t a film that better encapsulates this in this year’s lineup than the Greek sci-fi film She Loved Blossoms More, which blends horror, comedy, and trippy experimental cinema in a way that is equal parts hypnotic and hilarious. The sickos of the cinephile community (a term endearingly used by one of your own) will *not* want to miss this. Skywalkers: A Love StoryHowever, it’s not just the limits of good taste that festivalgoers can expect to see pushed at Tribeca this year, they can also expect to see the limits of human capability tested. The documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story premiered to great acclaim at this year’s Sundance to great acclaim, and Tribeca is offering a rare opportunity for attendees to see the film about two Russian daredevils in IMAX. It’s a beautifully shot and unexpectedly compelling film, and you won’t want to miss the opportunity to see this on one of the best and biggest screens in NYC. TreasureAlthough its Berlinale premiere was overshadowed by the premiere of the similarly-themed (and buzzier) A Real Pain at Sundance, Julia von Heinz’s Treasure is making a stop at Tribeca ahead of its theatrical release later this month. The film stars Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry as a daughter and father who return to his homeland of Poland, which he left after surviving the Holocaust. It’s not a particularly subtle film, but it offers an interesting perspective on this story and explores a side of this conflict that hasn’t really been shown before. The 2024 Tribeca Film Festival runs June 5-15 in New York City.
By Sean Boelman
Pride Month kicked off a little early this year with NewFest’s annual NewFest Pride event — a showcase of some of the highest-profile queer films that have been playing on the festival circuit, along with a couple of world premieres and special screenings of exciting new projects. From lighthearted comedies to weighty dramas, this year’s NewFest Pride event showcased a variety of films by and about the LGBTQIA+ community that are designed to provoke conversation and celebrate the community.
We at disappointment media got the opportunity to cover this year’s NewFest Pride event remotely by screening some of the movies available as part of the virtual festival lineup. Here are our thoughts on some of the films we saw: Close to You
Close to You stars Elliott Page in one of his first roles since coming out as a trans man. Written and directed by Dominic Savage with a story co-written by Page himself, the movie follows a man who returns home for the first time in years since his transition, encountering a friend from high school along with several long-buried feelings. It’s a slow-burn queer drama driven by an incredible performance by Page. Although the film doesn’t have a ton of subtlety, it offers an emotionally rich exploration of themes that are often unexplored from a perspective that feels entirely authentic.
A House Is Not a Disco
A House Is Not a Disco is a verite-style look at the Fire Island Pines, the almost mythical “queer mecca” of Fire Island Pines, located about 50 miles from the heart of New York City. In the film, we get the chance to meet several of the people who take refuge in the “homo-normative” community every summer, and they tell their stories — from humorous anecdotes of debauchery to heartwarming tales of finding a place to belong. Although it’s not a particularly substantial movie, it’s very charming.
The Queen of My Dreams
Fawzia Mirza's The Queen of My Dreams has toured the festival circuit to great success since its premiere at TIFF last autumn, but it is unfortunate that it is coming on the heels of several other films told from a similar perspective. Recent South Asian queer romantic comedies like The Persian Version and A Nice Indian Boy hit a lot of the same beats, and while it’s undeniably refreshing to see stories like this being told from these perspectives, it would be nice to see them less formulaic. Still, it’s a cute, crowd-pleasing movie by every means, so it’s hard to hate.
Sebastian
The sex worker drama Sebastian follows an aspiring writer in London who takes up a job as a sex worker to do research for his debut novel. Although the movie shares several similarities with classics in the queer canon like Mysterious Skin, it also stands on its own thanks to a tender and empathetic approach to its characters. This is not a film that lingers on queer misery — instead, it is much more interested in exploring the reality of queer sex and love. When you add in Ruaridh Mollica’s incredible, ambiguous performance, it’s a truly effective entry in this subgenre.
NewFest Pride ran in NYC and online from May 30 to June 3.
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